There is a huge lack of shopping options when it comes to Mini Horse Pack Saddles, so I ended up making a DIY one! Since getting a mini horse, I’ve found a renewed interest in hiking. Hiking by yourself is okay, but hiking with a Miniature Horse is so much fun! They’re the best hiking buddies, and if you have a pack saddle, you can pack a picnic. What’s more fun than taking a mini horse on a picnic? The answer is nothing. Nothing.
Kid’s Saddle and Bicycle Pannier for Mini Horse Pack Saddle
My mini horse pack saddle consists of two different elements. First, there is a toddler leadline saddle. My preferred saddle for this is the Wintec Kid’s Saddle. You can find this saddle on Amazon or even secondhand on Marketplace or at your local equine consignment shop. The second part of my pack saddle a pannier bag for a bicycle.
Picking The Right Saddle for a Miniature Horse
Since getting a mini and having a toddler who rides, I’ve gotten to look at several kid’s saddles and leadline saddles. I really like the Wintec for a variety of reasons, and it shines as a pack saddle too! First of all, it has panels. A lot of kids saddles and leadline saddles are like a bareback pad or treeless saddle. This is probably fine for a lot of minis or ponies, but I really like that there is a spinal channel and clearance for the spine.
Even though he’s a small horse, he’s still a horse, and I take saddle fit just as seriously with him as I would for a big horse. The panels are adjustable and also they seem to distribute weight in the areas you want weight to be carried. Also, there’s wither clearance (might not be a problem for some minis and ponies who have no withers at all).
In addition to being able to fit a mini horse pretty darn well, the saddle has a d-ring on the back for a crupper and a handle on the front, so you can attach your bicycle pannier on with zero modifications. It’s like it was made to be a miniature horse pack saddle. I love DIY projects that are nearly ready to go out of the box!
Bicycle Panniers as a Miniature Horse Pack Saddle
The bicycle pannier I use is a Kemimoto 30L Large Capacity Bicycle Pannier. This is the perfect size for the Wintec saddle and for a Miniature Horse. I’ve packed picnics for us numerous times, and I’ve never come close to filling it all the way up. It has several compartments, and plenty of room for everything you need for a long or short hike. I have even packed a little sack of hay for Jasper in mine. I usually put my water bottle(s) in as well as snacks. Sometimes, I will throw in a few brushes on one side to even the weight out. I think adding a little bit of weight can also help for those of us who have minis that need exercise! It’s a great way to maximize your daily walk!
Saddle Pads for a Mini Horse Pack Saddle
Another thing that’s really important to me is a good saddle pad. There’s also a hole in the market for good mini pads! For large horses, there are pads in every shape, size and color. For minis, there really isn’t that much of a selection, and the ones that are available, aren’t always the best quality. I like to have a good supportive pad close to the horse, and then one of my DIY cute saddle pads on that, (because, why not?).
A few of the bottom pads I rotate through are actually big horse pads that are cut down to size. I have an old Toklat fleece pad I used to ride my first horse in, that I’ve held onto but haven’t used in years. I cut it down in size for Jasper, and it’s a great pad for the DIY mini horse pack saddle setup!
Another one I like to use is a gel impact saddle pad. This was a half pad that I cut down. He has seemed comfortable in both, but I like to have options! This is a good “non-slip” option, if that’s a concern for you. In case, like many of us, you have a very round mini!
Finally, I had a high-end Christ Lammfelle half pad, which I bought for Monk years ago, and it didn’t work for her and I haven’t been able to resell it. I took my scissors to it, cut it down and sewed the edges to make the most expensive and high-quality pad a miniature horse has probably ever seen, lol! It’s like a cloud, and it looks fabulous too!
Don’t Forget a Girth For Your Miniature Horse Pack Saddle
I use a 16″ Wintec girth for Jasper, and he’s a 38″ Miniature Horse. You can see a similar girth here. This is another area where it’s really tough to find gear! There just isn’t a huge selection of 16″ girths! Rather than search for “mini horse” or “pony” girths, a good shopping hack is to search for “dressage girths!”
Crupper, Breeching and Breast Collar for Mini Horse Pack Saddle
I recently purchased a crupper from Two Horse Tack for my mini horse pack saddle, but I know a lot of people use spare leather scraps to make these for their mini horses. I do have harness breeching for Jasper, but haven’t had a need for it on our hikes yet. Additionally, fashioning a breastcollar may also need to be a DIY project, as there just aren’t many options. Depending upon your terrain, you may need some of these accessories or none at all!
Hit The Trail with Your Miniature Pack Horse!
Hiking and packing with your miniature horse is just one of the fun things you can do with a mini! I’ve had so much fun participating in virtual challenges and logging those miles with my Mini Jasper McTavish! He seems so proud sporting his little pack saddle and loves getting to our half-way spot for a small picnic! I love getting creative with my saddle pads, and I’ll have a future blog about how I make those as well!
Until next time, Happy Trails!
